UN does not renew MINURSO mandate in the Sahara
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on ACI
The UN Security Council did not renew MINURSO’s mandate, which was due to expire on 31 October, after two draft resolutions failed. The US text was blocked by a Russian veto, while the Russian proposal did not secure the necessary votes, reports ACI.
The United Nations Security Council did not adopt the Russian draft resolution proposing a one-year extension of the mandate of MINURSO, the UN mission in the Sahara, without changing its name or responsibilities. The US text, which provided for an extension until 31 October 2027, had previously been blocked by Russia’s veto, according to ACI.
The two draft resolutions failed on 30 October, on the eve of the expiry of MINURSO’s mandate. Created in 1991 after the ceasefire between Morocco and the Polisario Front, the mission was tasked in particular with monitoring the truce and helping organise a referendum that never took place. A Moroccan royal communiqué announced the forthcoming withdrawal of the mission’s personnel and equipment from the southern provinces.
The decision follows Russia’s veto of the US resolution on the Sahara, announced on 30 October, and the expiry of MINURSO’s mandate on 31 October, according to Rabat. The Moroccan royal communiqué describes this development as the end of 35 years of the mission’s involvement in the dispute.
